Petunia plant named ‘Dopetsmimar’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of Petunia plant named ‘Dopetsmimar’, characterized by its compact and mounding to trailing plant habit; moderately vigorous growth habit; freely branching habit; early and freely flowering habit; light red purple and dark red purple bi-colored flowers; and good garden performance.

Botanical designation: Petunia X hybrida.

Cultivar denomination: ‘DOPETSMIMAR’.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Petunia plant, botanically known as Petunia X hybrida and hereinafter referred to by the name ‘Dopetsmimar’.

The new Petunia plant is a product of a planned breeding program conducted by the Inventor in Rheinberg, Germany. The objective of the breeding program is to create new compact and early-flowering Petunia plants with numerous attractive flowers.

The new Petunia plant is a naturally-occurring whole plant mutation of a proprietary selection of Petunia X hybrida identified as code number TT-0454-X0012, not patented. The new Petunia plant was discovered and selected by the Inventor as a single flowering plant from within a population of plants of the parent selection in a controlled greenhouse environment in Rheinberg, Germany in May, 2017.

Asexual reproduction of the new Petunia plant by terminal vegetative cuttings in a controlled greenhouse environment in Rheinberg, Germany since June, 2017 has shown that the unique features of this new Petunia plant are stable and reproduced true to type in successive generations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Plants of the new Petunia have not been observed under all possible combinations of environmental conditions and cultural practices. The phenotype may vary somewhat with variations in environmental conditions such as temperature and light intensity without, however, any variance in genotype.

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined to be the unique characteristics of ‘Dopetsmimar’. These characteristics in combination distinguish ‘Dopetsmimar’ as a new and distinct Petunia plant:

-   -   1. Compact and mounding to trailing plant habit.     -   2. Moderately vigorous growth habit.     -   3. Freely branching habit.     -   4. Early and freely flowering habit.     -   5. Light red purple and dark red purple bi-colored flowers.     -   6. Good garden performance.

Plants of the new Petunia can be compared to plants of the parent selection. In side-by-side comparisons, plants of the new Petunia differ primarily from plants of the parent selection in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Petunia are more compact than plants of the         parent selection.     -   2. Plants of the new Petunia have larger flowers than plants of         the parent selection.     -   3. Plants of the new Petunia and the parent selection differ in         flower color as plants of the parent selection have pink and red         bi-colored flowers.

Plants of the new Petunia can be compared to plants of Petunia X hybrida ‘Dueswejofa’, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 26,756. In side-by-side comparisons, plants of the new Petunia and ‘Dueswejofa’ differ primarily in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Petunia have thicker lateral branches than         plants of ‘Dueswejofa’.     -   2. Plants of the new Petunia are more freely flowering than         plants of ‘Dueswejofa’.     -   3. Plants of the new Petunia have larger flowers than plants of         ‘Dueswejofa’.     -   4. Plants of the new Petunia and ‘Dueswejofa’ differ in flower         color as plants of ‘Dueswejofa’ have red purple and dark purple         bi-colored flowers.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPH

The accompanying colored photograph illustrates the overall appearance of the new Petunia plant showing the colors as true as it is reasonably possible to obtain in colored reproductions of this type. Colors in the photograph may differ slightly from the color values cited in the detailed botanical description which accurately describe the colors of the new Petunia plant.

The photograph is a close-up view of a typical flowering plant of ‘Dopetsmimar’.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

The aforementioned photographs and following observations, measurements and values describe plants grown during the spring in 22-cm containers in a glass-covered greenhouse in Rheinberg, Germany and under cultural practices typical of commercial Petunia production. During the production of the plants, day and night temperatures averaged 18° C. and light levels averaged 4,500 lux. Plants were 13 weeks old when the photograph and description were taken. In the following description, color references are made to The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart, 2007 Edition, except where general terms of ordinary dictionary significance are used.

-   Botanical classification: Petunia X hybrida ‘Dopetsmimar’. -   Parentage: Naturally-occurring whole plant mutation of a proprietary     selection of Petunia X hybrida identified as code number     TT-0454-X0012, not patented. -   Propagation:     -   -   Type.—By terminal vegetative cuttings.         -   Time to initiate roots, summer.—About five days at             temperatures about 20° C.         -   Time to initiate roots, winter.—About seven days at             temperatures about 20° C.         -   Time to produce a rooted young plant, summer.—About three             weeks at temperatures about 20° C.         -   Time to produce a rooted young plant, winter.—About four             weeks at temperatures about 20° C.         -   Root description.—Fine, fibrous; close to 155B in color,             actual color of the roots is dependent on substrate             composition, water quality, fertilizers, substrate             temperature and age of roots.         -   Rooting habit.—Freely branching; dense. -   Plant description:     -   -   Plant and growth habit.—Compact, mounding to trailing plant             habit; freely branching habit with about four primary             lateral branches each with about four to six secondary             branches develop after pinching; moderately vigorous growth             habit.         -   Plant height, soil level to top of foliar plane.—About 33             cm.         -   Plant height, soil level to top of floral plane.—About 34.5             cm.         -   Plant diameter.—About 92 cm. -   Lateral branch description:     -   -   Length.—About 82 cm.         -   Diameter.—About 7.4 mm.         -   Internode length.—About 3.1 cm.         -   Strength.—Moderately strong.         -   Aspect.—Initially upright to outwardly spreading.         -   Texture and luster.—Pubescent; semi-glossy.         -   Color, developing and fully developed.—Close to 143C; at the             internodes, close to 139D. -   Leaf description:     -   -   Arrangement.—Before flowering, alternate; after flowering,             opposite; simple.         -   Length.—About 4.6 cm.         -   Width.—About 2.3 cm.         -   Shape.—Spatulate.         -   Apex.—Obtuse.         -   Base.—Attenuate.         -   Margin.—Entire.         -   Texture and luster, upper and lower surfaces.—Pubescent;             leathery; semi-glossy.         -   Venation pattern.—Pinnate; arcuate.         -   Color.—Developing and fully expanded leaves, upper surface:             Close to 137B; venation, close to 137B. Developing and fully             expanded leaves, lower surface: Close to 138B; venation,             close to 139D.         -   Petioles.—Length: About 4.5 mm. Diameter: About 2 mm.             Strength: Moderately strong. Texture and luster, upper and             lower surfaces: Smooth, glabrous; semi-glossy. Color, upper             surface: Close to 145B. Color, lower surface: Close to 144C. -   Flower description:     -   -   Flower type and flowering habit.—Single salverform flowers             arising from leaf axils; freely flowering habit with usually             about 350 flowers developing per plant during the flowering             season; flowers face mostly upright to outwardly.         -   Fragrance.—None detected.         -   Natural flowering season.—Plants flower continuously during             the spring and summer in Germany; early flowering habit,             plants typically beginning flowering about nine weeks after             planting.         -   Flower longevity.—Individual flowers last about two to three             days on the plant; flowers persistent.         -   Flower buds.—Length: About 4.3 cm. Diameter: About 6.5 mm.             Shape: Ovoid. Texture and luster: Rippled, glabrous;             semi-glossy. Color: Close to 187A.         -   Flower diameter.—About 5.9 cm.         -   Flower depth (height).—About 4.2 cm.         -   Flower throat diameter.—About 1.3 cm.         -   Flower tube length.—About 3.2 cm.         -   Flower tube diameter.—About 2 mm.         -   Corolla.—Arrangement: Five petals fused at the base and             opening into a flared trumpet. Petal lobe length (from             throat): About 2.5 cm. Petal lobe width: About 3 cm. Petal             shape: Roughly spatulate. Petal apex: Obtuse. Petal margin:             Entire; moderately undulate. Petal texture and luster, upper             and lower surfaces: Rippled, glabrous; semi-glossy. Throat             texture: Rippled, glabrous. Tube texture: Rippled,             pubescent. Color: Petal lobe, when opening, upper and lower             surfaces: Close to 155C; center, close to 187A. Petal lobe,             fully opened, upper surface: Close to 65D; center, close to             72A; venation, close to 202A; color does not fade with             development. Petal lobe, fully opened, lower surface: Close             to 65D; center, close to 187A; venation, close to 187A;             color does not fade with development. Flower throat: Close             to 202A; venation, close to 202A. Flower tube: Close to 72B;             venation, close to 202A.         -   Calyx.—Arrangement: Five sepals fused at the base forming a             star-shaped calyx. Length: About 2 cm. Diameter: About             3.5 cm. Sepal length: About 2 cm. Sepal width: About 3.1 mm.             Sepal shape: Oblong. Sepal apex: Rounded. Sepal margin:             Entire. Sepal texture and luster, upper and lower surfaces:             Smooth, glabrous; semi-glossy. Color, when opening and fully             opened, upper surface: Close to 137A. Color, when opening             and fully opened, lower surface: Close to 137C.         -   Peduncles.—Length: About 2.9 cm. Diameter: About 1.1 mm.             Strength: Moderately strong. Texture and luster: Smooth,             glabrous; semi-glossy. Color: Close to 143C.         -   Reproductive organs.—Stamens: Quantity per flower: Five.             Filament length: About 2 cm. Filament color: Close to 145D.             Anther length: About 2 mm. Anther shape: Ovate. Anther             color: Close to 142D. Pollen amount: Abundant. Pollen color:             Close to 128C. Pistils: Quantity per flower: One. Pistil             length: About 2.2 cm. Style length: About 2 cm. Style color:             Close to 138D and 187A. Stigma diameter: About 2.2 mm.             Stigma shape: Rounded. Stigma color: Close to 144A. Ovary             color: Close to 141D. Fruits: Length: About 7 mm. Diameter:             About 5 mm. Texture: Smooth, glabrous. Color: Close to 11C.             Seeds: Quantity per flower: About 80. Length: About 0.8 mm.             Diameter: About 0.6 mm. Texture: Smooth, glabrous. Color:             Close to 200A. -   Garden performance: Plants of the new Petunia have been observed to     have good garden performance and tolerate wind, rain, temperatures     ranging from about 3° C. to about 28° C. and to be suitable for USDA     Hardiness Zone 11. -   Pathogen & pest resistance: Plants of the new Petunia have not been     observed to be resistant to pathogens and pests common to Petunia     plants to date. 

It is claimed:
 1. A new and distinct Petunia plant named ‘Dopetsmimar’ as illustrated and described. 